Master Plan

Master Plan

Implementation of the master plan will restore the acreage to resilient and sustainable native ecosystems. The rendering (above) of the property from the northeast corner shows the future large swaths of prairie and savanna habitat as well as the planned facilities and access expansions.WHY we needed a new master plan:

Two major natural disasters, Hurricane Ike in 2008 and then a severe drought in the summer of 2011, significantly impacted the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center. The result was a 50% loss of our tree canopy and subsequent encroachment of invasive species.

The hurricane and drought made apparent a pre-existing problem and it highlighted the poor over grown ecological condition of the Arboretum’s landscape. It created an opportunity to change the relationship of how we managed and viewed our grounds. It also created an opportunity to strengthen the educational mission by tying it to the site more directly.

Meanwhile, our educational programming has outgrown our current facilities and we want to improve the Arboretum experience for both students and visitors!

Sign up for our newsletter or check back with us to find more information on our implementation schedule, campaign progress, and our donors. Please use the links to the left to learn more about the plan.

For general questions about the master plan, please contact Christine Mansfield, Marketing & Development Associate, at 713-366-0426 or by email at cmansfield@houstonarboretum.org.

For questions regarding donations to the master plan, please contact Keely Everett, Development Director, at 713-366-0374 or by email at keverett@houstonarboretum.org.

Master Plan News & Awards

The master plan strengthens our educational mission by tying our landscape more directly to our child and adult programs and exposing visitors to endangered native habitats that many people have never seen before. It is an opportunity unmatched in the City of Houston.